In my first post about an epic trip that my husband and I made in Southeast Australia and New Zealand at the end of 2018 I informed on our itinerary (Adelaide to Sydney in 15 days and New Zealand North and South Island in 15 days). Plus I let you know more about our travel style (road-trip, first-class hotels offering value for money, foodie experiences and moderate active travel). This was followed by eight more posts (Australia/New Zealand) detailing on journey highlights. And now I have a comprehensive itinerary ready complete with all the hotels, restaurants, cafes and activities of our journey. And all this comes with pictures and short descriptions!

After spending countless weeks carefully curating our itinerary before our trip and accurately covering the aftermath of our journey, I am able to produce two Google Maps, one for Australia and one for New Zealand, see here the ones where only the stops are marked.

 

Date of visit: November 2018

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When traveling, my husband and I always look for opportunities to go for a short to medium-length walk as we consider it a good way to get a sense of the place. That was no different on our month-long Australia and New Zealand trip (see outline). Circling a lake is always a rewarding thing to do as you get a feeling of achievement and you are always by the water. In New Zealand, we discovered two nice and easy lake circuits, Lake Rotopounamu Track, a less known on the North Island, and Lake Matheson Walk, a very popular one on the South Island.

Lake Rotopounamu

General

Lake Rotopounamu, located in the center of New Zealand’s North Island, is part of the Tongariro National Park, the country’s oldest one. It is one square kilometer (250 acres) in size and is situated in a wooded area full of fauna that is typical for New Zealand. If you are interested in botany, there are informative panels that explain what is growing around you. It is also a great place for birdwatchers as the bird population thrives as a consequence of a pest management program. And the lake is suitable for swimming in, although it is rather cold!

There are toilet facilities onsite but no shops or restaurants. The nearest town is Turangi, about 11 km (7 mi) away.

Lake Rotopounamu Track

The first chance to have a peekaboo view of the water is after 10 minutes of starting the encircling, at Five Minute Beach. Here a broad tree stump provides a good spot to view the lake.

After another 45 minutes you get to Long Beach on the far side of the lake, the premier beach for bathing and lounging. Near to the end of loop around the lake, there is the last possibility to catch a glimpse of Lake Rotopounamu, and this at Ten Minute Beach.

Lake Matheson

General

Lake Matheson, in the middle of New Zealand’s west coast, is in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park and is located a five-minute drive from Fox Glacier. The lake is famous for mirror-like reflections of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman that are due to the dark brown water. The best chances for enjoying the perfect mountain reflection are on calm clear days, and this at dusk and dawn. Lake Matheson is surrounded by ancient native forest, but it is not so dense that the lake is out of sight all the time.

There are toilet facilities at the car park. Once you have finished the walk I am going to describe, do not miss Matheson Cafe for a bite to eat and ReflectioNZ Gifts & Gallery for having a look around just by the parking lot.

Lake Matheson Walk

The walk comes to an end after some more walking through forest and wetland. Now, you have earned a break to have an excellent cappuccino (Coffee in New Zealand and Australia must be the best on the planet!) or a tea and cakes at Matheson Cafe!

Overall

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If I had to name the two day trips in New Zealand that left the most lasting impression on me when traveling the country on a month-long journey in Oceania together with my husband (see here my outline), then it is clear. These must be Waiheke Island near Auckland on the North Island and Milford Sound in the vicinity of Te Anau on the South Island. While Waiheke Island boasts with its pristine beaches, gorgeous landscapes and many wineries,Milford Sound is quite different. Here it is all about this fiord’s cliffs rise vertically from the dark waters along with majestic peaks and powerful waterfalls.

In general, my husband and prefer exploring a place on our own whenever it is possible and makes sense. And we like to walk on this occasion. We strongly feel that a place can be experienced more intensively by doing so, even at the risk of missing “to see everything”.

As to the mentioned trips to Waiheke Island and Milford Sound, we thought that the former can be explored self-guided by doing a walk and visiting a winery. If you rather feel like seeing different parts of the island or going to several wineries, a tour might suit you more.

With regard to Milford Sound, the situation is different because of its remote location. It is about two hours driving form the nearest town – Te Anau, where we stayed. And the highway leading to it tends to be quite busy during summer. Second, I wanted to give my husband a break from the constant self-driving. And third, the usual tour here is not “really guided”. You are on your own on the boat and later when doing a medium-length walk. For all these reasons, we opted for a guided tour for our visit to Milford Sound, mostly for convenience.

The island is located off the coast of the North Island and can be reached from Downtown Auckland.

From Waiheke’s Matiatia wharf there are regular ferry services (provided by Fullers) that get you to Waiheke Island in about 40 minutes.

Waiheke is the second-largest island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand and the most populated one. It has a surface area of 92 km2 (36 sq. mi) and is quite hilly.

In terms of climate, compared to Auckland, it receives more hours of sunshine and less rain. And it is slightly warmer and less humid. One can therefore speak of a preferred (balmy) climate, at least in relation to the neighboring area. Due to this fact, Waiheke is well-suited for growing wine. It has even become New Zealand’s “island of wine”.

Out of the many wineries onsite, my husband and I chose to visit one of the better-known, Mudbrick Vineyard,

as it also provides restaurant services. You find more on this later on.

As to other activities than wine-tasting, if you are into walking, as we are, there is a myriad of trails. They are along cliff tops, down to beaches and also through native forests. Read more about a recommended medium-length walk starting right by the ferry that we took in the next paragraph.

If you want to be by the sea, you can make use of the beautiful white sandy beaches, e.g. Oneroa beach. This is one of the best and also well accessible from Matiatia wharf. It offers options for swimming, kayaking or just relaxing. You can also combine walking and being on the beach by doing the walk I am going to present to you. This one passes the above-mentioned beach.

Of course, you can also hire a bicycle or a scooter or even opt for a tour, e.g. an explorer hop-on hop-off bus tour or a winery tour.

In case you are a hard-core hiker – my husband and I are not –, then think about doing the Te Ara Hura, meaning “discover the way”, a network of walking tracks around Waiheke linked into a continuous 100 km (62 mi) route all around the island. This is certainly the best way to see the real Waiheke, from magnificent coastal headlands, idyllic beaches and varied woodlands in the island’s core.

Four days are needed to complete the trail, involving six to eight hours walking per day. If you want to this self-guided multi-day adventure, go to the website iWalkWaiheke to check out the package they offer (including accommodation, breakfast, other meals/food and support).

Please note that some parts of Te Ara Hura are temporarily closed but the track can still be walked, although it currently is only about 85 km (53 miles).

If you visit Waiheke just for the day and have a shorter walk in mind – as we had -, then I have a suitable suggestion for a moderate three-hour walk, starting just at the ferry wharf.

Walking track near Matitia wharf

Route: Matiatia wharf – Oneroa – Blackpool – Church Bay – Te Miro Bay – Matiatia wharf (moderate, about 3 hours)

A good way to get a first taste of Waiheke is to do a round trip that begins right when leaving the ferry building, going to Oneroa, then on to Blackpool, further to Church Bay and via Te Miro Bay back to the Matiatia wharf. Along the way, you pass woodland, great beaches, sleepy villages and wonderful cliff-tops.

When you have left behind the Matiatia wharf, turn right onto Oceanview Road. Before the carpark on the right side, turn right into a small path along the water. When you arrive in the forest, take the first turn to the left und follow the trail – always more or less parallel to the Oceanview Road – until the way ends and joins the Oceanview Road just before reaching Oneroa Village.

Stroll through the charming village, Waiheke’s main township with many shop and restaurant options. Down one of the pathways from the main street you will find the white sands of the stunning Oneroa Beach, the north facing main beach here.

After spending some time here, enjoying the clear waters of Oneroa Bay, continue along the water towards Little Oneroa Bay.

When reaching Moa Avenue, take this road to its end, getting to the south-facing counterpart of Oneroa Beach, Blackpool Beach.

Turn right into the Esplanade and continue along the water until the path ends. Then attack the ascent – first on a path, later on a street – to the second intersection where you find the Church Bay Road.

Turn left on it and continue until Mudbrick Restaurant and Vineyard is signposted just about ten minutes later. Either take a lunch break here – as my husband and I did, see later on –

or go on until you find a sign indicating the direction of Church Bay.

When we were here in November 2018, the way from Church Bay towards Te Miro Bay was closed, so we had to turn around and walk along Church Bay Road until Nick Johnston Drive, which we had to follow to its end to reach the hiking path along the water (via Church Bay Esplanade)! Check out the Auckland Council website to find out whether the track ist still closed.

Finally back on the coastal track and on our way to Matiatia wharf, we enjoyed probably the most picturesque stretch of this trail, boasting fabulous coastal headlands with million dollar views, quite hilly at times but totally worth it!

Wine & food at Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant

As mentioned before, my husband and I stopped at Mudbrick Winery to have a small lunch. The place is very popular, when walking up the nice driveway, we were already overhauled by the first busload of visitors and others followed later on. Once arrived at the top, I understand the reason for it. Grounds are beautiful and views are galore. What a great place, a Provence style building made of mud bricks – of course – and a topiary-filled garden!

On offer here are wine tastings, vineyard tours and two restaurants, a fine dining establishment and a bistro. As we only wanted to have a little something to eat, we made ourselves comfortable at a table in the garden of the Archive Bar and Bistro and ordered a glass of wine accompanied by focaccia and olives, what a nice break!

Milford Sound is part of the Fiordland National Park, which occupies the southwest corner of New Zealand’s South Island and is with an area of 12,519 km2 (4,834 sq. mi) by far the country’s largest national park. Milford Sound is not only the crowd puller amongst the fiords onsite but probably also New Zealand’s most famous tourist destination.

As you might have guessed, it is actually not a sound (formed by a river), but a fiord (carved by glaciers). It runs 16 km (10 mi) inland from the sea (the mouth of the fiord) and is surrounded by many peaks, of which the Mitre Peak (1,692 m/5,551 ft. above sea level)

is the most known one. In addition, there is a myriad of waterfalls, amongst them two permanent ones.

Another peculiarity of Milford Sound is the weather, the area is notorious for its high rainfall and this fiord is the front runner here being the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest ones on Earth! But this should not keep you from visiting it, as it is said to be even more charming when it rains. When doing so, the waterfalls are even more powerful, and many other temporary ones occur.

In terms of activities, the most common one here is taking one of the boat tours which usually last 1 to 2 ½ hours. Hiking and canoeing are other options to explore the area.

Coach, cruise & walk Milford Sound (Trips & Tramps)

As already mentioned at the beginning, my husband and I decided to visit Milford Sound in a guided tour, i.e. as part of a small group day trip offered by Trips & Tramps and organized via our hotel in Te Anau.

Departure from our hotel was at 8:00 a.m. and return at 5:30 p.m. It included traveling in a small coach, a boat cruise along the full length of the fiord (2 ½ hours) and either short walks and scenic option or Key Summit option. The latter involves hiking (or tramping as they say in New Zealand) part of the Routeburn Track (a three-day walk through Fiordland and Mt Aspiring National Parks), is unguided and only available in the summer half-year.

The coach option to Milford Sound allows you also to learn more about the spectacular Milford Road (from Te Anau to Milford Sound) as the nature guide shows you all the highlights of this stunning alpine drive with occasional stops along the route.

On reaching Milford Sound, you are ushered to a comfortable boat

with lots of space and a naturalist pointing out interesting things to you. The long cruise (2 ½ hours) provides great viewing opportunities, with plenty of time available to enjoy what the fiord has to offer including wildlife (especially seals and – if you are lucky – penguins and dolphins).

On return, you have to decide on the mentioned options (short walks with the nature guide or 2 ½ hours hours walking on the Routeburn Track to Key Summit). As avid walkers, my husband and I opted for the second one. We were taken to the starting point (The Divide), given instructions and off we went together with some other tour participants. I would call this unguided walk as moderate to strenuous (elevation change 400 m/1,412 ft) and as worthwhile doing. You ascend up to lush beech rainforest before coming into alpine environment

with panoramic views of the surrounding Fiordland Mountains, alpine lakes and deep bush clad valleys.

I would recommend doing this walk although only if the weather conditions are fairly good.

Two of the best places to visit in New Zealand in a day trip are for sure Waiheke Island off the North Island close to Auckland and Milford Sound on the South Island in the southwest corner.

The former is blessed with a warm climate and features emerald water bashing the cliffs on the landward side as well as stunning sandy beaches on the ocean one, along with its boutique wineries.

Milord Sound is arguably one the most scenic destinations in New Zealand and can be easily done from the main gateway of Te Anau. The fiord scenery that one encounters here is guaranteed to leave you awe-struck.

Date of visit: November 2018

 

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When my husband and I travel the world, exploring the local culinary scene is always on our agenda. Our month-long journey in Oceania (see outline) was no exception to that. And if I had to name my two favorite high-end restaurants, I do not have to think long. Restaurant LuMi in Sydney and Restaurant Kazuya in Auckland are both places where culinary magic is performed. While LuMi boasts modern Italian food with a Japanese twist, Kazuya captivates with its European Japanese fusion cuisine.

In the following I will go into my dining experiences at both restaurants, starting with the one at LuMi for the simple reason that our trip began in Australia and ended in New Zealand. It has nothing to do with my preferences, I cannot possibly say which one I loved more, they were both stellar!

LuMi Bar & Dining, Sydney/Australia (2 hats)

Before opening his own restaurant on Sydney Harbor, he ticked off time in famous kitchens at Noma in Copenhagen, at Attica in Melbourne and at Ryugin in Tokyo after having started his career in Rome/Italy. Working in Japan seemed to make a big impression on him as he chose to fuse his Italian origins with this far eastern cuisine.

If you could wish for a preferred location in Sydney, then it would be this one, on the wharf at Pyrmont.

The glass-fronted restaurant in a modern stand-alone building by the water offers an enchanting view of harbor and city lights.

Lumi means small lights in Italian and there are many of them hanging from the restaurant’s ceiling and contributing to a much-needed contrast to the heavy use of steel throughout the restaurant. There is a large open kitchen that occupies the entire length of the restaurant and lets the guests participate in the happenings there. It is a modern dining-spot with a cool vibe.

Staff is aligned with the atmosphere that prevails in this lively open space, smooth yet energetic. A nice touch was it, that sometimes the chef or another cook delivered a dish to the table. Even when the power went out in the whole neighborhood for about twenty minutes, they continued acting with confidence, admirably!

On offer at LuMi is contemporary Italian food with a Japanese twist, and this only on the basis of tasting menus. There are three of them and it depends on the day of the week and the time of day which one(s) you can resp. must choose (no choice on Saturday for dinner). The price range is from 125 AUD (89 USD) to 185 AUD (131 USD). While eating here is quite an expensive affair, it is totally worth it, be it for the cuisine’s creativity, the exciting dining experience and the staff’s amiability.

My husband and I dined at LuMi on a Sunday evening, so we had the choice between two menus, the more comprehensive Chef’s Menu or the smaller Experience. We went for the latter as we ate out during all the nights of our month-long trip through Australia and New Zealand (here our outline).

If I count in all the snacks as one course and the petit fours as another, then we had a nine-course menu.

The dinner started furiously with a series of snacks, tuna tartare in a sweet potato cone, a Jerusalem artichoke crisp with Swiss brown mushrooms; Italian gunkan, a sushi boat with an Italian twist consisting of sea urchin, nori and buffalo cheese; chawanmushi, a Japanese egg custard with a Parma ham basis, and of course the signature rye and spelt brioche with koji (fermented) butter.

Each of the snacks provided plenty excitement to our taste buds and made us gasp at the ingenuity of the chef.

Next was a vegetable dish with asparagus, smoked macadamia chunks and macadamia milk,

followed by a snapper ceviche

and ravioli filled with pork, fennel and candied orange.

All three courses opened up new worlds of taste for us, never before had we eaten anything like this!

We proceeded with hapuka, a moist, many-layered local fish, in cream and curled in pickled daikon radish

before coming to the final savory course, smoked quail, serving up different parts of the bird, including the quail foot, and combined with beetroot.

LuMi did not disappoint in the department of desserts, either … First was sudachi ice cream, made from the Japanese sudachi citrus fruit, coming out with an awesome caramelized white chocolate crisp and finalized with keffir lime dust, what a wonderful combination!

Second was a meringue with liquorice flavor paired with coconut ice cream and a passionfruit sauce, which worked astonishingly well, although I am not a liquorice lover.

The ingenious meal came to an end with a frangipane tart in combination with pineapple and toasted kombu (seaweed based) cream for the two of us.

This meal makes it into the category “most memorable dinners ever”. Chef Federico Zanellato marries Italian and Japanese cuisine in a way that something truly extraordinary comes out of it. The result may be adventurous every now and then yet harmonious most of time.

Kazuya Restaurant, Auckland/New Zealand (3 hats)

Kazuya Yamauchi is, as you could guess from his name, Japanese, and started his culinary career in a high-end Italian restaurant in Tokyo. While coming in contact with other European cuisines and techniques at the time, he implemented them in his style of cooking without neglecting the culinary traditions of his home country. After moving to Auckland, he worked at two Asian fusion restaurants before opening his own place in 2012.

Location/Ambiance

Once inside, everything changed! The room is small – it seats probably less than 30 diners – and is rather dark, the lighting is dim, and the interiors are kept in chocolate and cream shades. You are cocooned in generously proportioned leather booths, which give quite a lot of privacy. The décor is inspired by Japanese traditionalism yet with many modern touches.

Staff was earnest yet gracious. Every course was presented with an explanation and delivered to our table white-gloved. The atmosphere was serene, almost solemn, which suited the place just right. A really nice touch was the fact that the chef said goodbye to us at the door when we left.

With regard to pricing, it is for sure one of the best value high end degustation in town! The full degustation with ten courses amounts to 165 NZD (113 USD), seven to 125 NZD (86 USD) and five to 100 NZD (69 USD).

My husband and I opted for the “golden middle”, i.e. seven courses.

First and last impressions matter most, and everything was done just perfect in this respect, a pre-dinner ball of soup which exploded when we bit and a basket with delicious European style bread at the beginning as well as a foamy-fruity pre-dessert and some sweet treats to round up the feast!

In between, a greatest-hit album of dishes, starting with spanner crab – a local species –, ratatouille, egg yolk confit, spiced cream and almond, what a harmonious mélange, my husband and I were deeply impressed!

Next was a variation of scallop, cuttlefish, daikon radish, seasoned with yuzu citrus and mustard.

We proceeded with a magnificent mix of Italian, local and Japanese food, pasta with whitebait – immature fry of fish, often seen in Oceania –, soy milk broth, spinach and chrysanthemum.

A cult dish at Kazuya is “Texture”, over 30 textured seasonal vegetables combined with prosciutto, showing the chef’s great skill of texture and flavor.

The fish was snapper paired with cauliflower, lemon, bottarga (Mediterranean caviar), beurre blanc and nori,

the meat was black angus beef in combination with taro (starchy root), asparagus, purple kumara (sweet potato), mushroom and jus,

both well composed and immaculately done.

The final course featured a cotton cheesecake (the Japanese counterpart, which is lighter and with a fluffy texture) in liaison with strawberry, white bean cream, mochi (sweet Japanese rice cake) and hazelnuts, what a great end to a brilliant meal!

Overall

What sets Kazuya Yamauchi apart from other fusion style chefs is his ability to create dishes that are extremely well-balanced yet makes you marvel at his creative genius. His cuisine combines European recipes with modernist techniques and exacting Japanese presentation, and this in a very undercover location and at reasonable prices. A visit here is an absolute must for every fine dining lover going to Auckland!

Date of visit: November 2018

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The post 2 gourmet hotspots in Oceania first appeared on Swiss Traveler

There is no shortage of stunning nature in southeastern Australia and New Zealand, this much can be said for sure! When my husband and I toured this area on our month-long journey (see outline), we were awestruck by so much natural beauty! Two of our favorite national parks were Ben Boyd National Park (about half way between Melbourne and Sydney) and Abel Tasman National Park (at the north end of the New Zealand’s South Island). While the former is best explored by foot, you might profit most from the latter by doing this (mostly) on the water.

General

You might wonder why I say these two national parks in one breath. This is out of pure coincidence as Ben Boyd National Park and Abel Tasman National Park do not have much in common with the exception of having the chance of immersing in gorgeous nature and a coastline location. While the first mentioned national park is not amongst the best known, the second one ranks among the must-do activities when visiting the area.

As we did have quite a rushed travel schedule, we only had limited time available to explore these sites, a half day for Ben Boyd National Park

and a full day for Abel Tasman National Park.

Nevertheless enough to get an idea of both places.

Ben Boyd National Park

It is a ruggedly beautiful stretch of coast with rocky headlands, heathland and pristine beaches, and it is completely different from the rest of the coastline in the area. This is due to its impressive rock formations and radiantly colored stone set in a stunning coastal landscape.

The national park is situated on the New South Wales south coast near the town of Eden and is 10,500 hectares (26,000 acres) in size. It is separated into two parts, split by Twofold Bay, with a small section in the north and a larger one in the south. We only went to the northern part at the entry point of Haycock Road.

Walk from Haycock Point to Barmouth Beach and back

At the northern tip of the park, Haycock Point

is the starting point for a great walk to Barmouth Beach. It is easy to moderate with a few stairs and gentle hills and is 3 km one-way (1.9 miles). You need about two and a half hours to complete this walk.

The first part leads along a green flat plateau before coming to a coastal forest where you have views of blood-red and other colored rocks again and again.

Before reaching the goal of the walk, you catch sight of the opposite Merimbula Beach.

Some more steps up and down until you come to wooden stairs leading down to the idyllic Barmouth Beach. What a great place to lay your bath towel!

After a short break, you start your way back to Haycock Point, in awe again of the red-colored rocky coastline. Here, take a look at the seemingly endless beach towards south

before returning to your car and head for another – this time very short – walk, the Pinnacles Loop.

The Pinnacles Loop Walk

The walk from the carpark is on a loop track and takes less than 30 minutes to fulfill. There are two lookout points along the way to view the Pinnacles, one of the highlights in the park. These white sand cliffs are capped with a red gravel clay which has eroded over the years.

Where to stay and eat in style near Ben Boyd National Park

Finally, I do not want to withhold from giving advice where to stay and where to eat in style when visiting the Ben Boyd National Park. I am afraid there is not that much on offer for discerning travelers in the area. Nevertheless, there is the one or the other good establishment.

A great place to stay in style is Balconies Dolphincove Bed & Breakfast, located in Tura Beach, north of Merimbula in a quiet residential area. There are three nicely furnished, spacious rooms

overlooking landscaped gardens (where kangaroos are regular visitors, feeding on the lawn),

the outdoor pool

and native bushland beyond. A tasty breakfast is served in your own room.

If you like tapas, then Ritzy Wine & Tapas Bar is the place for you with a good range of scrumptious dishes to share and a casual atmosphere. Great choices are the Asian style oysters

and scallops.

Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman National Park is renowned for its golden beaches, sculpted granite cliffs and its popular coastal track. Another asset is its reliable weather, it sits atop the sunniest region of the country.

It is located on the northern coastline of New Zealand’s South Island. With an area of 23,700 hectares (58,600 acres) it is bigger than the before mentioned sibling in Australia but the country’s smallest national park.

When you are short on time – as we were – when exploring the park, a combination boat trip along the coast with short land excursions and walking a section of the Abel Tasman track might be the best thing to do here.

For this purpose, we had opted for doing the “Golden Future Tour” by “Abel Tasman Eco Tours”, which was just perfect for spending a day here.

Tour description “Golden Future Tour”

After boarding the vessel “Zeehaen” in Marahau, the southern entrance of Abel Tasman National Park, we got up close with the amazing coastline including outlying islands. Highlights included marveling at impressive granite rock formations just as Split Apple Rock

and observing wildlife.

Then it was time to go on land for the first time at Te Pukatea Bay where Stu, our friendly and competent guide, laid out a picnic of coffee and tea with two kinds of tasty cake,

followed by an (optional) instructive nature walk to witness forest ecology, botany, predator traps and incredible views.

Back in the boat again, there is some more exploring the coastline before stopping again for having lunch and another short nature walk at Mosquito Bay.

On the return to Marahau, there was the opportunity to be dropped off at Apple Tree Bay for a walk back to Abel Tasman National Park’s south entrance (one and a half hour). Of course, my husband and I took this chance and walked back to the starting point while viewing the magical coastline and taking in the wonderful scenery once again.

Where to stay and eat in style near Abel Tasman National Park

As before in the area of Ben Boyd National Park in Australia, there is a shortage of adequate hotels and restaurants for demanding travelers. Having said that, there is a truly luxurious hotel onsite, Split Apple Retreat. However, my husband and I had decided that it is not suitable for our case as we had little time left for spending time here on the one hand and as it seemed a bit steep on the other hand. There are some upscale lodging opportunities in Nelson, the only bigger town in the area, an hour from Marahau. But if you want to stay in style close to the park’s southern entrance, the nearest to this might be Split Apple Lodge.

This accommodation, located in the middle between Marahau and Kaiteriteri, offers breathtaking views over the Tasman Bay.

It features a spacious communal deck and a large guest lounge. A serviced breakfast buffet

and afternoon snacks are included, there is also the opportunity to use the kitchen for preparing your own dinner. The rooms (six rooms and a self-contained apartment) are rather small and sparsely furnished in a contemporary way.

They have a somewhat basic bathroom

and – if you are in a Sea View Room – a private balcony.

In terms of dining, your best choice in my view is Hooked on Marahau, in Marahau, serving delicious fish

and other dishes in relaxed atmosphere. Another recommended place to go is The Views, A vegetarian restaurant, in Kaiteriteri, offering a variety of well-made meatless dishes

including pizzas in a rather non-descript hotel ambiance.

Overall

If you look for Oceania national parks in a splendid coastal location offering a myriad of opportunities to enjoy wonderful nature, then you cannot go wrong with Ben Boyd National Park in southeastern Australia and Tasman Abel National Park in the north of New Zealand’s South Island. While the former is ideally explored on foot, it is recommended doing this with latter at least partly on the water.

Port Campbell National Park, Australia

 

Another problem popped up from time to time, and this was the impossibility to find an adequate accommodation in some places. In certain areas, you could not find a hotel for demanding travelers as there were only modest lodging opportunities. In this case, we got around it by booking bed and breakfast accommodations or self-contained apartments in some cases (especially in Australia).

Self-Contained Apartment in the Grampians National Park, Australia

As mentioned earlier, I came across ultra-luxury hotels once in a while. When I speak of properties like these, I mean those charging 1,500 US$ and more per night (including dinner and sometimes also pre-dinner drinks and other services). As I consider such a pricing as inflated, I refrained from booking such hotels, with one exception. In the most southern point that we reached in New Zealand, I was at a total loss on a suitable lodging so that we decided to stay at such a place. It was however a lodge that belonged to the lowest price class of the affiliated hotel chain (900 US$). While we enjoyed our stay (beautiful property with great views and tasty food), we thought that we definitely paid about 200 US$ too much.

Ultra-Luxury Hotel in the South West of New Zealand’s South Island

Day Trip to Milford Sound, New Zealand’s South Island

 

As you already learned in the last chapter, we had a rather densely packed program for our Oceania journey. There were more than 6,000 kilometers (about 4,000 miles) to drive and this with a speed limit of 100 or 110 kilometers (62 or 68 miles) per hour, few freeways and often winding roads! In the following you find our (ambitious) itinerary:

At the end of my reporting on this unique journey I will make two Google Maps – one for Australia and one for New Zealand – with all the accommodations we stayed at, the restaurants we dined, the cafes we went and the activities we did, and this with my photos and comments. Come back later, check out the announced blogposts on highlights of our epic trip and my detailed travel Google Maps.

Date of stay: November 2018

Auckland, seen from Waiheke Island, New Zealand’s North Island

 

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